Insulated rail-joint



C. A. DISBROW.

INSULATED RAIL JOINT.

I APPLICATION FILED 0CT.22, 1919. 1,369,225. Patented Feb. 2 21.

2 SHEETS-S EE anon WM C. A. DISBROW. INSULATED RAIL JOINT.APPLICATION'FILED ocr.22, 1919.

Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Civil) isb q UNITED STATES PATENTVOEFICEQ CLARKSON A.DISBROW, on NEW ROCHELLE, NEW Yonx, ASSIGNOLR To me RAIL JOINT COMPANY,on NEW YORK, N. Y.,' A conPonA'rIoN or NEwYoR'K INSULATED RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 22,1919. Serial No. 332,360.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARKsoN A. lDIsBRoW, citizen of the United States,residlng at New Rochelle, in the county of Westchester provide, inaninsulated rail joint, a construction which permits the use ofa mini:

mum amount of insulating. material without impairing the electricalfunction of the joint and at the same time providing for interlockingthe fiber'with the joint bar in such a mannerthat it is effectually heldagainst displacement. Also a support of the rail head from the joint baris accomplished in such a manner as toappreciably relieve the fiber orinsulation from crushing strains particularly adjacent the rail endswhere the fiber usually is subjected to the-greatest strain and wear soas to cause failure while the remainder of the fiber or insulation is ingood serviceable condition.

The partlcular construction and combinai. tion of parts which permit theattainment of the desirable'objects above stated are neces sarilysusceptible of embodiment in different forms of construction withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, but certain preferred andpractical embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is an end View of a rail joint fitted with the improvementsoontein-' plated by the present invention, the View showing. the rail insection and the upper part of one of the splice barscut away to show themounting of the insulated-rail supportingv pin. I 1

Fi 2 1s a side elevation of the joint shown ll'l'F1gL1 with a part ofthe topof the joint bar and head fiber broken away to expose theinsulated rail supporting insert or pin adjacent the ra l end. 1 e

Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

I Fig; 3 is a top'view of theupper part of the oint bar with the headfiber fitted thereon and a pair of'the rail engaging inserts-or pinsshown'atlocations adjacent themeet- 111%911C1S of the rails. 5 v

. 1g. 4 1s a' top :view of the rail joint bar showing a modificationwherein the head fiber 1s 1ntended to closely embrace the upper proectlng metal of the rail en aging'insort or pm and the insulating cupfor the pin dis osed entirely below the head fiber.

ig; 5 is a detail view of the bar shown in r Fig. 4; partly in sectionon the line 5-5 of igs. 6 and 7 are respectively cross sectional andelevational views of ajoint construction wherein the" rail engagingmetal inserts or pins are fitted-in the head .orfoot of thebar andinterlocked with head or basev pieces of insulation.

v Like references designate corresponding parts in the several figuresof the drawings.

The insulation fittings,and rail supportmg means, comprising thepresentinvention are necessarily adaptable to different types of rail jointsand, different forms of joint bars without in any way departing-from theI i purposes or objects of the invention." The distinctive featureofthelatter resides in an insulation plate, of'fiber or other acceptablelnsulating material, fitting a rail supporting face of the joint bar andinterlocked. with a metal rail supporting-insert or pin'project vingfromthe oint bar and not-only constituting a metal-to-metalbearing-support for the rail head but also a locking means for holdingthe insulation plate locked against displacement longitudinally or.laterally. This combination of features accomplishes the dual functionreferred, to, namely that of permitting the use of a minimum amount ofmsulation and also appreciably. relieving the latter of the crushingstrains from the rail head.

To illustrate the distinctive feature referred to there is shown in Fig.1 of the drawings a rail joint includingthe railR, and the joint bars 11and each of these joint bars is provided, preferably in a'locationadjacent the end, of each rail of the joint, w tha seat on socket2drilledor other wise suitably formed within its upper edge portion.Each of these seats or sockets 2 is adapted to receive therein a metalpin or stud 3 constituting a metal rail supporting insert projectingabove the top surface of the joint bar and adapted tohave ametal-tometal bearing supporting contact with the under side of the railhead. Toprovide a thorough insulation of this pin or stud 3 from themetal joint barthe same is preferably' nested within an insulating cup4: made of oneor more pieces of insulating material and which cup isfitted within the seat or socket 2. so as to solidly rest on the bottomof the latter and to entirely surround the pin or stud, therebypreventing short circuiting between the pin-or stud and the joint bar.

As above indicated the metal inserts 3 are preferably arrangedin the:head' of the jointbar adjacent the rail ends to provide metal supports"for the rail heads in the locations where the greatest strains andpressure is usually imposed upon the head fiber or insulation employedin the joint, and ac cording to the present invention this head fiber orinsulation designated by the numeral 5 is interposed between the head ofthejoint bar and the undersides of the rail heads, so

, as to be vusediin combination with the rail supporting metal insertsto insure a thorough head insulation for the joint throughout the entirelength thereof. A-featureof practical-importance in'eonnection with theuse of inserts.

where'the inserts occur so that the latter-willproject through the saidkeeper openings 6 and thus become fiber locking-pins or studs whichpositively prevent movement of the insulation plate-eitherlongitudinally or lat;-

1 erally. 7 Thus the insulation plate will not be disturbed from itsposition by relative movement between the rails and joint bars norsubject to wear by'the friction incident to such relative movement.Furthermore, it will beobserved that the locking of the insulation plateby the metal insert is so positive as to entirely obviate the necessityof having the insulation engage with the joint bolts for lockingpurposes, and for that reason a comparatively small and narrow strip orplate of insulation may be used for the head piec'eof therail joint, asshown in Figs. 1 and Q'of the" drawings. a

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 theinsulating cups 1 for the metal inserts areshownas projecting I through the'keeper openings 6 of the fiber piece, but asillustrated in Figs. 4: and 5' of the-umwings the said insulating cupmay terminate flush with the top of the joint bar and the insulationplate 5 formed with openings which fit the metal inserts sulficientlyclose to maintain a proper insulation.

By way-of illustrating the range of modification which may be resortedto in carrying'forward the invention there is shown in Figs. 6 and 7 ofthe drawlngs the application f the invention not only to a headpiece ofinsulation for the head of the bar but also to a base piece'7 ofinsulation interposed between the toot of the bar and the rail flange.In this use of the invention the rail engaging pin or stud designated bythe numeral 8 is nested in; an insulating cup 9 seated in a socket atthe foot of the bar and this insulated pin or stud projects through anopening in the base piece of insulation 7 to lock it in position. 1 I IOther modifications will be apparent to those familiar with the art andit 'will'be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minordetails of construction may be resorted to without'departing from thespirit or scope of the appended claims or sacrificing any ofthe'advantages ofitheinvention. a r I'claim; Y 1; In a rail joint, asplice bar having an insulated rail engaging projection and aninsulation plate interlocked with said pro jection'. I Y

2'. In a insulated metal rail engagingprojection and an insulationprojection.

rail joint, a splice bar'having an plate interlocked with 1 said sulatedmetal insert projectingtherefrom.

metal insert. I 4. In a railjoint, a joint barhavi-ng aninsulated metalinsert projecting 'abOVe its head and an insulation" plate interlockedwith said insert. Y

5. Ina rail joint, a'splice bar'having' a plurality of inset *railengaging projections and an insulation plate interlocked with saidsupports 6. In a'rail joint, a joint bar having a plurality ofinset-insulatedrail engaging projections and an insulation plateinterlocked with said supports. I i a '7. A rail joint, including therails, the joint bar, an; insulated rail engaging mem ber projectingfrom the bar adjacent each rail endand an insulation plate interposedand an insulation plate interlocked withsaid between the bar and therail head andinterlocked with "said rail engaging member.

8. A rail joint including the rails, a jo int bar, an insulated metalrail engaging ,mem ber projecting beyond the bar adjacent each railendand "an insulation plate interposed 9. A rail joint including therails, a, joint bar, an insulated metal rail engaging pin fitted to thebar and projecting therefrom adjacent each rail end and an insulation 5plate interposed between the bar and the rail and having a keeperopening interlocking with said pin.

Intestimony whereof I hereunto, afiix my signature in thevpresence oftwo witnesses.

I CLARKSON A. DISBROW. 'f

Witnesses: Q '1 E. K. KERSHNER KATHERINE MCNALLY.

